


here everyone knows you’re the way to my heart

by circlegame



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, everyone tagged is basically just mentioned
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-06
Updated: 2020-09-06
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:35:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,452
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26318035
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/circlegame/pseuds/circlegame
Summary: It’s been nine years since Kuvira’s war, and suddenly there’s a number of attacks on the Firelord Izumi. Team Avatar goes to stop the bandits, but are faced with a different challenge when they are not there for the Firelord, but for Jinora. Chaos ensues, and deaths occur.Or: It’s been a year since the fateful night in the Fire Nation, and Kai doesn’t know how to deal with all of it. Talking about his feelings aren’t his strong suit. Jinora breaks him out of his shell.
Relationships: Asami/Korra (Avatar) if you squint, Jinora/Kai (Avatar), Wu/Mako (Avatar) if you squint
Comments: 6
Kudos: 50





	here everyone knows you’re the way to my heart

The air in the Northern Temple was so cold that Kai was certain his limbs were going to freeze. Why Tenzin had decided to send Jinora away to the Northern Air Temple was still very confusing to him, as he was not certain that the insanely cold climate would be entirely good for someone in her condition.   
  


Speaking of Jinora, he watched her breaths rise and fall next to him, so pleased that she was by his side, so full of hunger and love for her that he felt like he could simply float away. But then he remembered why they were there, truly, and he felt sick once again. It was warm in their room, the fire that he had started (quite miraculously) had burned through, so the air was full of a soft warmth. They were alone on the island, far away from Republic City and the dangers of everything that was to come with Jinora’s safety. 

Jinora was the youngest airbending master of the last great century, but she was also the only woman to ever accomplish the task in the last two-hundred-some-odd years. Ikki was to be receiving her arrows soon, a lot later than Jinora, but earlier than most nonetheless. Kai had gotten his only a few months previously, and sometimes the blue hue upon his dark skin still spooked him in the mornings. 

The problem with Jinora being the only airbending master that was a woman hadn’t actually been a problem previously. No one had thought to bring it up, as when she had received them, she was busy searching and looking for the Avatar. But now Korra was busy rebuilding Republic City, helping King Wu with anything he may need assistance in, and spending most of her days traveling and helping people with Asami. It seemed a luxurious life to Kai, who was now 26. 

Jinora shifted in her sleep, her back to Kai. Kai felt tears fill into his eyes again as he looked at the girl opposite from him. She was so beautiful. He hadn’t been fast enough. The events that had transpired into sending her far away, to an Air Temple that had yet to be mostly discovered by others and mostly served as a place for monks, seemed like the perfect place in Tenzin’s mind to send her. 

The fateful night in which Jinora had nearly been assassinated was nearly three months ago, but it still kept Kai up every night, thinking about how angry he had been, how Tenzin had had to calm him down. The anger within his chest was rampant again and suddenly he was replaying the entire night within his head. 

\------

“Kai,” Jinora warned, the two sent by Tenzin first towards the Firelord Izumi’s palace. Ever since Firelord Zuko had died, there had been a group of bandits that hadn’t stopped terrorizing the palace. Korra had been sent too, and the group had clearly done some research. For having terrorized the Firelord for so long, the group sent to fend off the attackers were surprised to see that the bandits had not yet come out. 

“Watch Korra,” Jinora said, looking around wearily. The main goal, as always, was to keep the Avatar safe. Kai felt like his priorities might have laid elsewhere, but he couldn’t do anything about it. He was sent on a mission, and to disobey Tenzin’s orders, when he was still getting used to seeing his daughter hold his hand, was probably not the best option. 

Then everything was happening quickly. Bandits jumped out from all areas behind the walls, some sporting powers like chi-blocking, others sporting firebending. Korra quickly held off most of the benders, and Kai was certain that the fight would be over soon. Once Mako saw that they were being ambushed, he and Bolin would join in too. Asami would bring up the rear, and everything would be fine. 

It didn’t take long for Korra to attack the first group of bandits that had come out, and Kai was viciously fighting away chi-blockers as Jinora did the same from the other side. A new master, Kai was still getting used to the feeling of being completely in control, but Jinora had expertly mastered it. 

Soon enough, another round of bandits flew inside, and Mako and the gang were quick to come next. There was fire, water, air, and earth everywhere. Everything was flying in all different directions, and Kai’s head hurt from the amount of bandits that just kept coming. The other fact of the strange matter was that none of them seemed to be trying to enter the palace. He threw an airball at another bandit climbing over the thick palace walls, and turned to look briefly at his friends. 

Korra was easily backing away the benders, and seemed like she didn’t need nor want any help. Mako and Bolin were easily getting rid of stragglers, and even Opal had flown down to get the rest of them away. There were lots of chi-blockers, and Kai had not realized until much too late that none of the bandits were heading for the palace. They were heading for Jinora. 

Jinora, caught up in her own ball of air, was not used to taking on so many people at once. She was used to the Avatar being the one to be ransacked by criminals or bandits, but they seemed to want something from her. She didn’t let her guard down, as she knew it would only stress herself out. She was certain she could handle the situation at hand. She was a master, the youngest woman to have done so in the last several hundred years. It was something she was immensely proud of, and she used it to her advantage in battle. 

But all too suddenly, there were too many. Descending on her like ants at a picnic, she was overcome by how everything seemed to be turned against her, and not at the Firelord. A chi-blocker from behind suddenly snatched her, and she was immediately putty in the strong hands of the man who had disarmed her. 

“Jinora!” A desperate scream rang through, and she could see Kai’s face without moving to look upon it. 

“Get your hands off of her!” Korra yelled next, in tandem with the anger in Kai’s voice. 

The bandits dragged her across the cement of the palace, her skin scraping and peeling away. She was anxious, incredibly so. She had no idea what there plans were for her, and there were suddenly too many bandits for the group to fend off and look after her. Jinora knew what must happen, so she resigned to being silent, her knees leaving tracks of blood upon the floor. 

Kai was still out next to Mako, who was throwing fire with Korra and Bolin, trying desperately to create any kind of diversion so that one of them could slip away. “Where are they taking her?” Kai bellowed, the lump in his throat so large he was certain he would cry. 

“Follow her!” Korra screamed, pushing Mako in front of her so she could grab Kai’s shoulders. “I’ll take care of this. We all will. Don’t let her leave this island.” 

And that was all it took for Korra to turn into the Avatar State and for Kai to get a moment to fly after Jinora. It was unfortunately easy to follow her, as a track of splotted blood led him down the corner. 

\------

Kai bolted up suddenly, breathing heavily. He had been too late. _He had been too late._ The anger and sadness coursed through his veins still, and he felt like he was going to be sick. The worst part was that he could see her figure next to him, breathing easily with rest. He put a hand out to her slowly, allowing himself a moment to ghost over her body, a place he knew every line and curvature. He was suddenly so overwhelmed that he got out of bed silently, walking over to the large window in the room. He pushed aside a few curtains and looked out into the icy land around them. The air was cold, and he could feel the chill through the window. He let the tears fall then, large and wet, cascading down his cheeks softly. He could never forgive himself for what had happened, even though Jinora had nearly had a full recovery and was constantly meditating and going to a therapist. 

A soft sighing drew him to a start, and he turned to see Jinora sitting up in bed. “Kai,” She whispered, “Come back.” He could hear the worry in her voice, could see the pain in her eyes. 

“Sorry,” He mumbled in return, crawling back into the warm space with the person that meant the most to him. 

“You want to talk about it?” 

“No,” Kai shook his head, “Sorry.” He kissed her forehead softly, pulling her fragile body to him. “Are you okay?” 

“Mhm,” She muttered, pressing a kiss to his cheek. “I’m okay. Don’t have nightmares as much anymore.” She could feel him tense as she spoke the words, and she kissed him again. “Kai, I’ve been doing well. I’m doing better. I’ll be fine once we leave the island. But… you’re becoming a shell of yourself. What happened to you?” 

Kai straighted against her touch, as the last few months he hadn’t told her anything about what had happened to himself and the others after they’d finally found her. 

Jinora had been captured, as they came to find later, on purpose. The diversion for the Firelord was simply that: a diversion. The group of bandits was a left over party of the Red Lotus, their leader a man named Ramon. He’d wanted to kill Jinora, and was going to come after Ikki next. Their thought process was to wipe out all of the most powerful airbenders, especially those who were already or were going to be masters. Without the women, he thought they wouldn’t be able to give the world new benders. Kai didn’t let the stupidity of the situation wrap around his head for months after. New airbenders were coming in every day, women and men alike from every nation. 

And by the time he’d found Jinora, she was already dead. They’d bound her and gagged her and she was bleeding so profusely that Kai was certain she was never going to wake again. She had large bruises on her neck and hips, her clothes torn and lying on her haphazardly. He could barely hear Korra as she came in behind him, his ears ringing and his eyes full of tears. Choking sobs escaped his lips and he was so distraught that Mako had pulled him out of the room. 

Although Mako was only a few inches taller, and about ten years older, he was still stronger and more capable in a disaster than Kai. The night was engrained into his memory, and as Mako took him back to the ship, the bandits having gone away from getting what they wanted, the smoke from the fight seemed to make everything more hazy. Kai remembered crying violently over Mako’s shoulder, and as the older one set him in the ship, it didn’t take Kai long to see how Tenzin’s face had settled into stone. Mako had plopped him next to Wu, who wasn’t much help in battle, but was always there to mend a leg. Korra had taught him basics so that he could be helpful and accompany the pack. 

Kai remembered flashes of Tenzin’s conversation with Mako, and his conversation with Wu, but once Mako had left with Tenzin, it was all a blur. Wu didn’t really know how to help him, as he didn’t know him well. He’d left him to lie on the cot in the sick ward, and eventually, Kai had drifted to sleep. 

“Kai?” Jinora asked, noting the drifting. “Please talk to me.” 

Flashes kept coming back to him: Korra carrying her into the ward with him, Tenzin’s slack face with tears rolling down his cheeks, Asami holding onto Mako, Bolin holding an inconsolable Opal. Wu telling him to calm down as Mako slipped a weary arm around the king’s waist.   
  


When he’d woken up from whatever medication Wu had given him, Jinora was lying in the cot across from him, breathing softly. Korra had managed to revive her using metal bending, Mako electrocuting the metal.

And here she was now, doing the same thing. Lying next to him, breathing softly as her partner of the last eleven years was falling to pieces before her. 

“I’m sorry,” He muttered, sitting up. Tears were rolling down his cheeks again. “I’m just… I wasn’t fast enough, Jin. You died. You died!” 

“Kai,” Jinora pushed herself up against him, her hand placing itself upon his chest. “I’m right here. Korra saved me.” 

“But…” Kai shivered, “Jin, I wasn’t fast enough. I’m never going to forgive myself.” 

“I know.” She said simply, as if he hadn’t been keeping that from her for a year. “But you found me, and I’m okay. You know how much I’ve struggled with my recovery, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be in pain too.” 

“Jinora,” Kai’s voice wobbled, “I love you. When I saw you there, I lost it. I absolutely lost it.” 

“I know. My father told me.” She placed her hand off of his chest and around his back. “It’s okay. I’m okay.” 

“I’m never going to forgive myself.” He whispered, tears falling quickly down his cheeks. 

“I know,” She answered, the voice of reason in his head and in their bed. “But I want you to talk to me when you feel like this. It’s not good to bottle this all up.” She kissed his cheek, leaning against him. “What’s really the matter, Kai?” 

“It’s nothing, really.” 

“Stop,” 

“I just… I don’t know how to tell you.” 

“ I’m right here. You can try. Whenever you want.” 

Kai sighed, looking at her hand that was entangled within his own. Her hand around his lower back felt like an achor, like a pull to the Earth as they were tumbling around the nations. He owed it to her, he thought. The words had to spew out and up. 

“I love you,” He began, unsure of how to say what he needed to. “And when I saw you there, dead, I thought my life was over. You are everything to me, Jinora. Everything,” He sighed, raking a hand through his hair, his breath unsteady. In turn her steady hands anchored him to the bed, to her. 

“You’re always the one I’ve come to for everything. The day that you came to town, I knew that I wanted to join, that I could because I was an airbender. The day you came my life changed. I was reckless and stupid, and I was very crude and rebellious. Traits I now don’t admire, but traits that were important to me then. 

“But then you found me in the dark in that prison. And you’ve found me again and again and again. I have never loved anything or anyone like I love you. I’ve grown up around you, around your family. I changed drastically as you showed me that my power was important, that I was worthy of something other than my street rat title. 

“You came, and changed everything. And then I got to fall in love with you, and tell you all about it, and I was certain I was the luckiest boy ever. I still am. But when Kuvira came through towns, I knew that no matter what happened, I would always have you. And we grew up, and we grew together, and I got my tattoos, and I was certain your father was going to murder me when he found us kissing in the pagoda the night before. 

“I’ve always felt this pull to you, even when I’m not with you, and when we managed through all these years fine, I thought it was all okay. And before the incident, I thought I was okay. I thought that everything was fine. But then you were captured, and I felt like my world was turned upside down. 

“I never feel like I’m enough for you. I always think you should be with someone smarter, someone who’s a better person than me. When you died, I thought everything was over for me. You’re my life, Jinora. Everything I am is because of you. You lost so much that day because I wasn’t fast enough. I was a master, and I wasn’t fast enough. And I know you’re doing better, but I can’t get the image of you lying there out of my head. I still feel like it was all my fault, and it was nearly a year ago.” 

Jinora watched him a few moments, wondering if he was going to continue on. Kai wasn’t used to bearing his soul to her, but she knew in that moment why sharing her trauma had not been good for him. He wanted to know, always wanted to listen, but was not one to normally bear any weight from his shoulders upon her own. She was sharing her life with him. She was spending her life with him. 

She had spent the better part of the year in different therapists offices, and she was glad to have done so. She had no idea how to get over the ordeal, and was glad to have someone to talk to. But on hard nights, she did talk to Kai. For long periods of time, she would speak and discuss what happened with him. He always listened, commented when necessary, and took it all into himself.

She hadn't realized in the beginning, until perhaps even now, that the pain she felt, that her family felt, was all upon Kai’s weary shoulders. They talked to him about everything, and he was their silent rock, keeping the boat ashore. 

“You shouldn’t have to feel like it’s your fault. It’s not your fault, Kai.” 

“But it is, if I had just swiped away earlier, hadn’t bothered to go to Korra, it would have been different.” 

“No,” Jinora shook her head, “They would have killed you too. Kai, I know how hard that day was. More so than anyone, but I cannot keep that with me everyday. Korra may have brought me back, but I cannot go every day and think of it. That’s why therapy has been so helpful to me. I am so much better because of it. My problems are my problems, your problems are your problems. But because we are together, because we are partners, we share each other’s problems. You don’t have to be ashamed to talk to me about how you feel. But if you have so much inside of you, I need you to be honest with me. You can’t deal with all of that alone.” 

“I have-” 

“No, you don’t.” She held his face within her hands, wiping the tears away. “I love you.” 

He sighed, reaching his palm up to brush a few pieces of hair away from her face. “I love you too.” 

“Let’s get some sleep, baby.” 

“Okay,” He laid next to her, and she pressed herself against his chest, wrapping his arm around her waist. Her back was to him again, but this time they were intertwined. “I’m sorry I woke you up.” 

“Stop blaming yourself. Everything you feel, we feel together. Don’t hide yourself from me anymore.” She pulled his hand up, pressing soft kisses to the pads of his fingers.

“I love you so much, Jin.” 

“I love you too,” She whispered, intertwining her hand with his own as he pressed a kiss to her neck. 

A few moments later, their breathing had slowed, and she snuggled closer to him, their body heat a furnace in the cold. “I want to spend forever with you, Kai.” The words were soft in the air, and for one of the few times that night, Kai felt completely content; like he was home. She was his home. 

“You’re my home.” He answered, and the two shared a kiss before Jinora began to drift back to sleep. 

Kai didn’t sleep for awhile yet, but with Jinora in his arms, safe and breathing, he felt a little more at ease. Some nights were hard. Harder for him, hardest for her. But Jinora, as always, was right. They had to get through it together. Because they were partners; because they were each other’s homes. And coming home, no matter how bad a day, was always the right way to the heart. 

**Author's Note:**

> i am so stupid for jinora & kai.... they are little airbenders in love <3\. someday i will write more for them because they make my heart so full of love hehe. thank you all for reading!! no beta i die like joan of arc.


End file.
